After years of mocking and satirizing the theocratic Republican intentions through comparisons with Saudi Arabia, it was bound to happen that at least one of them would look at it and say, “yeah, they’ve got a good thing going on over there.”

GOP State Legislator Jason Rapert is the man who thinks that we should be more like the theocratic nation that, sometime this century, is set join the 1800s. Rapert, angry that a judge has struck down the Arkansas ban on gay marriage, went on a conservative radio show hosted by Dave Elswick to put his theocratic, anti-democratic, anti-civilization intentions where anyone could see, whining about those dirty “activist judges”and being querulous in general:

When judges assert the will of the people wholly in this country, they are pulling the rug out from underneath representative democracy. By the way, Saudi Arabia, they don’t live under the same kind of law that we do. They live under the law that they see fit to live under there. We have that right here, too. And that’s why there’s such an injustice here.

What’s there for a Republican not to love about Saudi Arabia? It’s an aggressively regressive, backwards, oil-rich, socially stratified theocratic hellhole of a nation trapped in the perpetual twilight of the 1500s. It’s everything the Republicans could want out of a country, except for that whole “Islam” and “Sharia law” thing. But if you filed off the Arabic and threw in a few references to how great capitalism is, would they really know the difference?

Rapert told Arkansas News shortly after the ruling that there could be “a push to put an initiative allowing judicial recall elections on the ballot in November,” according to the Huffington Post. Getting a ballot initiative requires a lot more people than the aggrieved but imaginary ones that are living in Rapert’s head, though.

Rapert also has a history of saying things like this. At a 2011 Tea Party Rally, he told supporters that they shouldn’t allow “minorities to run roughshod over what you people believe in.”

About Josh Kilburn

Josh is a writer, author, blogger, and freelancer with a Bachelor's degree who lives in the buckle of the Rust Belt.

Sgt. Jeffery Humphrey

@Perry

Glad to hear that. You had better hope a religion besides what you adhere to doesnt become a majority and decide you need to live by their laws. Just think a Jewish majority would make you not work from sun down friday to sun down saturday, or eat porm. Or maybe the Amish get tired of the BS and start getting into politics and require all married men to keep beards or to give up a certain level of technology, or maybe the Bhudists decide that they want to get into the politica

Perry

Luckily I live in the US and there is a separation between church and state so I don’t have to worry about Islamic sharia or Xtian sharia. As far as worrying about not working on the sabbath, growing a beard or eating porm (whatever that is), the Constitution says I do not have to be concerned. It clearly states there will be no recognition of an “official” state religion. And just so you know, except for Islam and Xtianity, no other other religion forces nonbelievers into following their laws and dictates. (Disclaimer: although I am not Amish I do have a beard.)

Sarge, you are way out there. I think Jefferson’s statement about the separation between church and state was aimed directly at you. It’s nice that you have found what you are looking for concerning religious belief. And whatever that is it seems you are happy with it. But I, like probably tens of millions of others, am very happy with whatever my view of religion is. We don’t need you or millions of your fellow believers to tell us what we have to do or not do. We’re tired of hearing how we would be better off and how we have to do it your way. And stop calling it a war if we don’t care for your preaching.

Sgt. Jeffery Humphrey

@EddardStark

To think you came out of the closet as an Atheist Conservative, good for you yet to say that this rep is an anomaly shows you lack of knowledge of the modern Republican party. It was Paul Wyrich who manufactured the Dark Horse take over in the 80s and the screed of Christian Based American foundation dates back to the early 40s. The theofascist push to bring America to heel under Mosaic/Sharia law is echoed in the party platforms of mant states. It is you who are the anomaly. And to think you call yourself educated on the subject. Laughable.

http://gravatar.com/clone5 eddardstark

this obviously ravenous democrat has bared his fangs in an attempt to marginalize all republicans based on a small demographic of outliers. i consider myself a conservative (although maybe more of a libertarian than a republican), and as an atheist i consider the dramatic shift towards theocracy a stark shift from the founding ideals of the party. the fact that there are still so many uneducated conservatives who think this country was founded as a “christian” nation is appalling. i believe in the separation of church and state while also disagreeing with several of the current administration’s policies concerning social reform. this is a wider argument than finding quotes from some idiot who managed to get elected that fit your agenda. i’m sure i could find just as many stupid moments from democrats, and i wouldn’t even have to stoop to namecalling and saber-rattling. just remember kiddies…the republican party used to stand for more than just the church…here’s hoping we can find those ideals again.

https://www.facebook.com/allyson.harris2 Allyson Harris

eddardstark, you seem to be insinuating that this Jason Rapert is some kind of an anomaly in today’s Republican party. When you consider how many are rabid fans of “bring back the prayer in schools”, how many believe that rape is no big deal, how many believe that all poor people are poor because they’re lazy, etc., this man is hardly a stand-out. Actually he’s rather typical these days. Perhaps you pine for the Barry Goldwater Republicans, or even one who were so advanced into dementia he consistently fell asleep during briefings? Or are you harkening way back to the Lincoln Republicans? I don’t believe since and including Richard Nixon have we had a Republican that wasn’t in some way radically “right” when it comes to civil rights, workers’ rights, and women’s rights.

Perry

Do we also get the religious police?

J

The whim of the majority is exactly what judicial branches are supposed to be free from.

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